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Strengthening Security and Stabilization in Sahel and West Africa

23 April 2026 - 24 April 2026

9:00 AM (Banjul)

Banjul

security

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Constitutional Governance and Rule of Law Political Participation and Representation

workshop on Strengthening Security and Stabilization in the Sahel and West Africa: Bridging Good Governance, Regional Cooperation, and Multilateral Responses

The African Union Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), in collaboration with the European Union Special Representative for the Sahel, Swiss Special Envoy for the Sahel, Danish Special Envoy for the Sahel, Germany's Special Envoy for the Sahel, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DSH), and International IDEA is convening a workshop on Strengthening Security and Stabilization in Sahel and West Africa: Bridging Good Governance, Regional Cooperation, and Multilateral Responses.

The two-day workshop will take place from 23– 24 April 2026 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Banjul, The Gambia.

This workshop is convened against the backdrop of a regional context marked by persistent and multidimensional challenges. West Africa and the Sahel continue to grapple with the escalation of terrorism and violent extremism, complex political transitions, and increasing risks of spillover into coastal states. These interconnected dynamics undermine regional stability and underscore the urgent need for coordinated, integrated, and sustainable responses.

The proposed two-day workshop will bring together up to 50 participants, including high-level policymakers, special envoys, representatives of states and RECs, civil society actors, EU and African Union (AU) officials, as well as security and governance experts. This format will allow for the convergence of institutional, diplomatic, and civic perspectives and the identification of operational pathways for concerted action.

Speakers

Roba Sharamo

Director for Africa and West Asia

H.E. Adama Barrow

President of the Republic of The Gambia

H.E. Joao Cravinho

EU Special Representative for the Sahel

H.E. Dr. Mamadou Tangara

Special Representative of the African Union Chairperson of the Commission in Mali and the Sahel and Head of the MISAHEL Office in Bamako, Mali.

Hosted by

International IDEA

We advance democracy worldwide, as a universal human aspiration and an enabler of sustainable development, through support to the building, strengthening and safeguarding of democratic political institutions and processes at all levels.